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Just for a Gala?!
Last Updated:
2024-11-30 17:35:09Related chapters
By Chance, By Fate Nightmare
61AlexThe next morning, I woke up feeling like someone had stuffed lead into my chest. The weight of last night's argument with my father pressed down on me like a physical force, suffocating and relentless. The anxiety that had become a constant presence gnawed at my insides, clawing at me, making it feel like my chest was caving in. The charity gala was hours away, but the thought of it made me want to crawl into a hole and hide. There was no escaping it. No way to avoid the role I had to play. I had to wear the mask. Pretend everything was fine. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, I was dressed in a tailored black tuxedo that felt more like a straitjacket than formal wear. I adjusted my tie in the mirror, but the reflection staring back at me was unrecognizable. The rigid posture. The forced smile. I could feel it all, the way it clung to me like a second skin. A mask I had worn for so long that I didn’t even know what my real face looked like anymore. “Let’s get th
Last Updated : 2024-11-30By Chance, By Fate Anonymous Messages
62Alex I couldn’t sleep again that night. I tried—God knows I tried—but every time I closed my eyes, I saw him. Liam, bleeding out in that alley, his lifeless eyes staring into mine. The nightmare had shaken me to my core, leaving me drenched in sweat, my heart hammering in my chest. The room was dark and still, but my mind raced with fragments of the message, the nightmare, and the growing sense that something was horribly wrong. "I’ll strike again, and next time, nobody will help you." Those words replayed in my mind like a haunting melody I couldn’t escape. The fear clawed at me, sharp and insistent. Whoever sent the message knew me too well—they knew how to get under my skin, how to make me feel cornered and vulnerable. Throwing the covers off, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. The cold air bit at my skin, but it wasn’t enough to distract me from the gnawing anxiety in my chest. “I can’t just sit here doing nothing,” I muttered to myself, running a hand throug
Last Updated : 2024-11-30By Chance, By Fate No, I Will Not Marry Her!
63AlexThe media didn’t hold back. By the next morning, every tabloid and news outlet had splashed my face across their covers with screaming headlines. "President’s Son Caught in Scandal! Fiancee Charlotte Betrayed!" and "A Love Triangle at the Heart of the First Family?" were just the tame ones. The articles were full of fabricated nonsense about how Charlotte had walked in on me in bed with another woman. The lies were relentless, painting me as a faithless, entitled playboy.I sat in the study, gripping my coffee mug so tightly I thought it might shatter. My jaw clenched as I skimmed the articles, each word another punch to the gut. This wasn’t just an attack on me—it was an attack on my family, my reputation, and everything I’d worked to protect. The door burst open, and Elena stormed in, her face flushed with fury. She slammed a crumpled newspaper onto the desk in front of me. “Have you seen this garbage?” she spat, her voice shaking. I leaned back, running a hand over
Last Updated : 2024-11-30By Chance, By Fate I Want To Be Left Alone!
64AlexThe first knock came about an hour later. “Alex?” Elena’s voice was muffled through the door. “It’s me. Can I come in?” I stayed silent, hoping she’d take the hint and leave. “Alex,” she tried again, her voice more insistent this time. “I know you’re mad, okay? But we really need to talk about this. Please.” I sighed loudly, making sure she could hear it through the door. “I have nothing to say to you, Elena,” I finally replied, my voice cold and flat. “Come on, Alex,” she pressed. “You’re being unreasonable. I didn’t mean to—” “Didn’t mean to what?” I cut her off sharply. “Didn’t mean to throw me under the bus? Or didn’t mean to show me exactly where your loyalty lies?” “That's not fair,” she shot back, her tone defensive now. “You know how he gets! What was I supposed to do, Alex?” “Oh, I don’t know,” I said sarcastically, sitting up on the bed. “Maybe, for once in your life, you could’ve stood up to him. Or at least pretended to care about what I was going t
Last Updated : 2024-12-01By Chance, By Fate Breaking Points
65Alex Sleep was a luxury I couldn’t afford. I lay in bed, my thoughts a tangled mess, replaying the night’s confrontation with my father and the chilling events that led to it. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Liam—bleeding, crumpled in that alley, his lifeless eyes burning into my soul. Despite Elena’s insistence that he was fine, a gnawing worry clawed at me. What if she was wrong? What if something happened to him, and no one wanted to tell me?I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, scrolling to Liam’s contact. My thumb hesitated over the call button, my mind racing. What if he doesn’t pick up? What if something’s happened, and I’m the last to know?Pushing the doubts aside, I hit the button and held the phone to my ear. “The number you have dialed is not available. Please leave a message after the beep.”The robotic voice grated on my nerves, and I cursed under my breath. It was the same as before, straight to voicemail. “Liam, it’s me. Look, I know we haven’t spoken
Last Updated : 2024-12-02By Chance, By Fate The Devil's Deal
66AlexHer voice came through the line, dripping with feigned sweetness. “Good morning to you too, Alex.” “I don’t have time for your games,” I said, cutting her off. “If you’ve got something to say, say it.” “Oh, I have plenty to say,” she replied, her voice turning icy. “But maybe I should just say it in person. Would that get your attention?” “What part of ‘I’m not interested’ don’t you understand?” I snapped. “You’ll want to hear this,” she said smugly. “Trust me.” “Trust you?” I laughed bitterly. “That’s rich.” “Suit yourself,” she said, her tone maddeningly calm. “But when this all blows up in your face, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I hesitated, her words gnawing at the edges of my resolve. “What are you talking about?” “I’m talking about your father,” she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “And the little deal he made with the Nightshade family. You might want to reconsider ignoring me, Alex. This concerns you more than you think.” My bloo
Last Updated : 2024-12-02By Chance, By Fate The Cost of a Heart
67LiamThe brisk chill of the Norwegian winter filtered into my room, even though the thick curtains were drawn tight against the windows. I leaned back on the enormous bed, its ornate posts stretching toward the high ceiling of my room in the royal palace. Weeks had passed since the summit, but the ache in my side was a persistent reminder of the bullet I’d taken for Alex. Mom, ever the image of a queen, had ensured I was taken care of in the most extravagant way possible. Two nurses hovered around me daily, tending to my wound as if I were made of glass. This morning was no exception. They flitted about, adjusting bandages, checking my vitals, and murmuring politely before finally leaving me in peace. The door clicked shut behind them, and I exhaled deeply, letting the silence wrap around me. But the peace didn’t last long. “Honestly, Liam, I don’t know what you were thinking,” my mother said as she swept into the room, her elegant heels clicking against the marble floor. She
Last Updated : 2024-12-03By Chance, By Fate Father's Return
68LiamThe door creaked open again, and I groaned, bracing myself for Anders to come sauntering back in with another cutting remark. But when I looked up, my breath caught in my throat. Standing in the doorway, his once-proud shoulders slightly hunched, was my father. The room felt like it had dropped several degrees. I stared at him, my mind racing. It had been—what? Ten years since I’d last seen him? Since he’d walked out of the palace, abandoning everything? Abandoning us. “Liam,” he said, his voice rougher than I remembered, like gravel scraping against metal. Sophia looked between us, her hazel eyes wide. She opened her mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it. She squeezed my hand once before standing. “I’ll... give you two some privacy,” she murmured, her gaze lingering on me before she slipped out the door. The silence that followed was deafening. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to find my voice. “What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone colder t
Last Updated : 2024-12-03
Latest chapter
By Chance, By Fate 83
83AlexDuring the day, even the maids couldn’t stop whispering about Liam Brighmore’s engagement to his best friend, Sophia. Their voices floated through the corridors, stinging my ears every time I overheard their chatter. I clenched my jaw, trying to block out their words, but they echoed in my mind nonetheless. Marrying her? Liam? The same Liam who used to tell me I was the love of his life? The same Liam who swore he’d stand by me when we exposed our relationship? I rubbed my temples, pacing my room as the weight of his betrayal pressed down on me. “It doesn’t make sense,” I muttered to myself. “He’s gay. He told me... he told me he loved me.” Lie. All of it. Lies. The realization hit like a punch to the gut. Liam had lied about everything. About us. About the future he told me he dreamed of. And now, he was engaged to her? My throat tightened as I thought of Sophia, with her perfect smile and flawless reputation. The world adored her. Of course, they did. She was everyth
By Chance, By Fate 82
Alex The next day, I was brooding in my room when there was a soft knock at the door. I stiffened, knowing it could only be one person. After our last argument, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to face her.“Come in,” I called out flatly, my voice still tinged with bitterness—not just from last night, but from our previous clash.Elena poked her head in, her brow furrowed with concern. She hesitated at the doorway, as if gauging whether I’d throw her out. “Alex? Can I talk to you for a minute?”I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms defensively. “What is it, Elena? Come to tell me again how I should marry Charlotte and save the family's reputation?”Her expression faltered, a flash of guilt crossing her face before she closed the door and stepped inside. “Alex, I didn’t come to argue. I heard about the news... about Liam Brighmore’s engagement.” She studied me carefully, her voice soft. “How are you holding up?”I scoffed, shaking my head as I turned away. “Why do you care? I’m sure yo
By Chance, By Fate 81
81Alex "You've got to be kidding me," I mumbled under my breath, still staring at the screen.Liam Brighmore. The words on the screen felt like a slap to my face. Prince Liam Brighmore... marrying Sophia Belleville in three days. I sat frozen, staring at the screen, my mind struggling to wrap around what I was seeing. This wasn’t just news—it was a punch to my gut.Liam? Marrying her? My fingers trembled as I gripped the remote tighter, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. His smiling face, so composed, so damn perfect, was plastered all over the screen. The same Liam who had once begged me to be with him, the same Liam who’d whispered sweet promises into my ear like he was the only one who could make me feel alive. And now? Now he was getting married."Unbelievable," I whispered, my voice raw with disbelief. How? How could he do this? How could he go from swearing he was in love with me to... this? It was as if everything he'd said to me had been a lie.A tight knot formed in my ches
By Chance, By Fate 80
80AlexWeeks had passed since I walked out on Charlotte and Damon, and now the weight of the situation was beginning to settle heavily on my chest. The tension in our family had only grown, each day making me feel like a bad son. The guilt gnawed at me like an insistent pest, threatening to swallow me whole. I could barely sleep without the nagging thought that I had somehow failed them all. But I couldn’t undo what I had done, no matter how much it haunted me.I was walking through the hallway of the mansion when I heard my father's voice booming from the study. His words were sharp, and the anger behind them was unmistakable. I paused for a moment, feeling the tension build, knowing I had to face him."You've put me in a hell of a position, Alex!" My father's voice rang out, his tone like a whip, crackling with fury. "I had everything under control until you decided to act like a damn child!"I could feel my heart race in my chest as I approached the door, the air in the house thic
By Chance, By Fate 79
79LiamThe silence stretched so long it felt like it could suffocate me. I turned to my mother, my jaw tight as I tried to keep my frustration from boiling over.“Mother,” I said sharply, my voice trembling with the effort to stay calm, “how could you plan a wedding without even asking me? Without—without us?”She raised a perfectly arched brow, clearly unimpressed with my outburst. “Liam, don’t be dramatic. The two of you have been together for months. The entire kingdom expects this. It’s what’s best for all of us.”I scoffed, pushing my plate aside with a loud scrape. “Best for all of us? I haven’t even proposed to her! I haven’t given her a ring, a proper engagement—nothing! And now you’re telling me we’re to marry next week? How does that make sense to you?”Sophia flinched at my words. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, and for a split second, I saw it—the fear she wasn’t showing to anyone else. Her hands were clasped so tightly in her lap her knuckles had turned whi
By Chance, By Fate 78
78LiamWeeks had passed, and I could feel myself getting better. The wound had healed completely, though the emotional scars from everything that had happened were far from fading. But now, there was something else weighing on me—something even more pressing and annoying.My mother had been relentless in her insistence that I marry Sophia. We’d been pretending to be a couple for months now, all so I could keep my secret—my real identity hidden from the world. She had warned me about the consequences if I didn’t comply, but I had begged her, and as always, she couldn’t refuse me. So here I was, stuck in a game I didn’t want to play.Today, we were all gathered around the grand dining table in the palace. My mother, ever the queen, was seated at the head. Anders, my wicked brother, sat beside his equally wicked wife—Evelyn. She had a name that seemed to fit her too perfectly, like the kind of name you’d give to someone who knew how to make your life miserable with just a smile. And the
By Chance, By Fate 77
77 Alex Turning to Damon and Charlotte, I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "I'm not going to marry her. I don't care what you say or what happens to my family's reputation. This isn't my problem, and I'm not going to fix it." Damon's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "You don't have a choice, Alex. This is the only way to save your family." "Then let them burn," I spat, my voice dripping with venom. "I'm done with this. I'm done with all of it." I turned and headed for the door, my heart pounding in my chest. I could hear Charlotte's voice behind me, her tone shrill and demanding. "Alex! Where do you think you're going? You can't just leave!" I didn't turn around, my pace quickening as I made my way towards the exit. But just as I reached for the door, I heard her voice again, this time laced with a hint of desperation. "Alex, wait! You can't leave without a car. How do you plan to get home?" I paused, my hand on the doorknob, and turned to face her. Her e
By Chance, By Fate 76
76Alex The tension in the room was palpable. The fire crackled and popped, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. But the warmth it offered couldn’t soothe the chill running through me. Damon Nightshade, as smug and composed as ever, sat in his chair, his dark eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.Beside him, Charlotte leaned back in her seat, a glass of red wine in hand, her smile far too pleased. I stood there, arms crossed, trying to keep my emotions in check. I had been dragged here under duress, but there was no way in hell I was going to make it easy for Damon or Charlotte.Damon leaned forward slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. “Alex, I know this isn’t easy for you. But sometimes, life forces you to make hard decisions.”“Hard decisions?” I scoffed, my voice filled with disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about? You think I’m just going to roll over and play your game?”He didn’t flinch, his lips curling into a smile. “I don’t think you have much of a choice,
By Chance, By Fate 75
75AlexThe fire crackled softly, its warmth doing nothing to ease the icy tension in the room. Damon Nightshade leaned back in one of the leather chairs, exuding a relaxed authority that made my skin crawl. He studied me like I was some pawn on a chessboard, waiting for me to make a move he could exploit. “Have a seat,” Damon said, gesturing to the chairs opposite him. His voice was smooth, calm, but it carried an undertone of command that left no room for argument.I stayed standing, crossing my arms. “We’re not here to make ourselves comfortable.”Damon tilted his head, a faint, amused smile on his lips. “Suit yourself. Though, I find negotiations go smoother when everyone’s relaxed. Charlotte, what will you have to drink?”Charlotte, who had made herself at home on the chair beside him, smiled like she belonged there. “A glass of red wine, Damon. Something bold.”“Of course,” Damon said, nodding toward one of the silent attendants who stood in the shadows near the door. The man d
